September 22, 2014

Analyzing Peace Mission 2014: China and Russia Exercise with the Central Asian States

By: Richard Weitz

From August 24-29, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held “Peace Mission 2014” at China’s Zhurihe Training Base, in Inner Mongolia in North China.

This is China’s base for engaging in large-scale exercises with foreign armies on its soil.

Peace Mission 2014 was the largest military exercise conducted by the SCO, with five of the six member countries participating (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan but not Uzbekistan).

The drills saw tanks, warplanes, and precision missions being used against a terrorist group that had thousands of fighters as well as its own light aircraft and ground equipment. The SCO forces used drones, airborne early warning aircraft, air-defense missiles, tanks, armored vehicles, ground and air forces, and special operations units.

A total of about 70 aircraft were dispatched for the drill, including fighter planes, early warning aircraft, and armed helicopters and drones.

Read the full op-ed at Second Line of Defense.

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